This invention concerns a device for positioning and stabilizing of the position of an inert mass, positioned in mobile fashion on a base in at least one degree of freedom. A regulating installation provides settings whose number coincides with the number of degrees of freedom. Such a device may, for example, be employed for stabilizing and targeting a barrelled weapon whose center of gravity is positioned on a tracked vehicle on a steady or moving target. The base in this connection is the body of the tracked vehicle and the inert mass is the barrelled weapon.
One device of this kind is known, where deviations of the barrelled weapon from the desired direction are compensated for via a directional drive which is coupled with the barrelled weapon when movements of the body occur. The reaction impulse of the directional drive is directly derived from the body. Hereby disturbing movements of the body are transferred directly via the directional drive to the barrelled weapon, which have to be compensated. Such disturbing movements are for example the movements of the vehicle body when the tracked vehicle traverses uneven road surfaces.
The invention provides a system of the kind mentioned at the outset, with which, independently of the disturbing movements of the base, a rapid and precise positioning and position stabilization of the mass is possible. To carry out the assignment it is provided, according to the invention, that every setting is produced by the pressing of at least one first part arranged at the mass against at least one second part, which is attached to the base and is moved in relation to the first part, in the form of friction forces, such for example as friction impulses.
With the system according to the invention the barrelled weapon once aimed is uncoupled of the base and is therefore not influenced by disturbing movements of the base. The barrelled weapon which may be supported at the base in low friction bearings, is then held correctly aimed alone by its inertia without being influenced by any disturbing movements of the base.
Since the friction values in the case of the respective friction pairs are independent of the speed of the relative movement between the two parts, the device according to the invention can be used to produce, through regulation of the pressing force, defined forces such as impulses as settings, which accelerate the mass independent of the movements of the base or vehicle body in the direction of the desired position, and which brake it when the position is reached.
The motion speed of the one part for this purpose must be at least as great as for instance the movements of the base.
Appropriately one part is a rotating disk and the other part a friction cushion which can be pressed against it, whereby the disk may be placed on the base and be constantly driven, while the friction cushion is mounted to the mass.
In a preferred execution of the invention a pair of counter-rotating disks is provided for every degree of freedom, to each of which a friction cushion is assigned, which can be operated separately from the other friction cushions, depending on the direction in which the mass or barrelled weapon is supposed to be carried along.
Further embodiments of the device are explained in detail in the supplementary claims and in the following description of an execution example, on the basis of schematic drawings.